Oneil Cruz's broken ankle overshadows Pirates' series-clinching win over White Sox

The Pittsburgh Pirates got a big win from starting pitcher Johan Oviedo but suffered an even bigger loss when manager Derek Shelton revealed shortstop Oneil Cruz fractured his left ankle during a home plate collision.

The sight of Cruz writhing in pain on the dirt as benches cleared in the sixth inning then limping off the field with assistance cast a shadow over Oviedo’s strong outing.

Oviedo struck out five in tossing 6 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings as the Pirates beat the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, to win the three-game series Sunday afternoon before 10,571 at PNC Park.

“The plan is always give the team a chance to win,” Oviedo said. “Thankfully, we achieved that, and we got the win. We win the series, so I feel like we, as a team, we really did a really good job on defense and with hitting.”

The Pirates were leading 1-0 when Cruz drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and advanced to third on Bryan Reynolds’ single to right. Cruz attempted to score on a Ke’Bryan Hayes chopper to third, but Yoan Moncada’s high throw to catcher Seby Zavala beat Cruz to the plate.

Cruz was in full sprint down the third-base line when he saw Zavala reach up to catch the ball. Cruz threw his hands up and attempted to slide but was injured on the bang-bang play when his left leg buckled and he collided with Zavala, who screamed at Cruz as he was writhing on the dirt near the batter’s box.

Carlos Santana took exception and went after Zavala, pushing the White Sox catcher. Shelton and Oviedo intervened, getting between Santana and Zavala to prevent punches from being thrown, all while Cruz was still down.

Related:

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• Madden Monday: Oneil Cruz's injury is 'further proof that they should allow the runner to run over the catcher'

“I wasn’t too happy about how late the slide was. I was just talking to Carlos Santana about it. He didn’t like what I said, and then he said something I didn’t like, and that’s what happened,” Zavala said. “I think in a couple of days everybody will forget about it. It was just a baseball play. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt, didn’t want it to escalate that far. But, it escalated.”

Added Santana: “A lot of emotion for the game in the moment. It’s tough. (Zavala) screamed at Cruz, and I don’t like that. I had to protect my teammate.”

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Canaan Smith-Njigba tripled off the Clemente Wall in the second. Jack Suwinski, who was batting .071, drove a 2-2 fastball deep to center for a sacrifice fly to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. White Sox starter Michael Kopech (0-1) retired the next 10 batters, striking out four, and gave up one run on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts in six innings.

Oviedo (1-0) got out of a jam with two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning. After Oscar Colas hit a dribbler back to the mound that Oviedo tried to barehand, Romy Gonzalez singled to center, then stole second. Oviedo got Zavala to go down swinging at a full-count slider and Elvis Andrus to fly out to center to keep the White Sox scoreless.

The White Sox had a runner in scoring position in the seventh, when Gavin Sheets hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Colas. Oviedo struck out Gonzalez but was pulled when the White Sox had Yasmani Grandal pinch-hit for Zavala. Oviedo received an ovation as he walked off the mound, and Dauri Moreta got Grandal looking at a 2-2 changeup for a called third strike to end Chicago’s chances.

“Gosh, he was outstanding,” Shelton said of Oviedo, who allowed five hits without a walk. “That’s a good lineup. That’s a good team, and he executed. Big sign of growth to be able to go back out in the seventh and control himself emotionally and be able to execute pitches. He was in control the whole game and did a really, really outstanding job.”

Colin Holderman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, when Rodolfo Castro moved from second base to shortstop to replace Cruz and Ji Hwan Bae came in to play second base. Castro made a spectacular barehand scoop and throw to first base, where Ji-Man Choi stretched to make the catch, to get Tim Anderson for a groundout. In the ninth, David Bednar struck out Andrew Vaughn, got Moncada to pop up to short before Sheets singled, then struck out Colas to earn his fourth save.

“Being able to have each other’s back, that’s what a locker room is for, what a team is for,” Hayes said. “I liked it. I felt like it gave us energy, gave those bullpen guys energy to come in and shut the door.”